Home > 2010/10 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Yu-Gi-Oh! Championship Series > Deck Profile: Sean McCabe’s X-Saber Deck

Deck Profile: Sean McCabe’s X-Saber Deck

October 11th, 2010

When Rescue Cat was Forbidden on September 1st, many Duelists were skeptical about how well X-Sabers would do in the new format. But over a month has passed since the new Forbidden & Limited List took effect, and X-Sabers are still getting to the top of tournament scene. Sean McCabe earned a 3rd place finish with his X-Saber Deck and took home a Set of Darklord Prize Cards this weekend. Here’s the Deck he did it with:

Sean McCabe’s X-Saber Deck – 42 Cards

Monsters: 19

3 XX-Saber Faultroll

3 XX-Saber Darksoul

3 XX-Saber Emmersblade

3 XX-Saber Fulhelmknight

3 XX-Saber Boggart Knight

2 X-Saber Airbellum

2 X-Saber Pashuul

Spells: 9

3 Book of Moon

2 Pot of Duality

1 Cold Wave

1 Monster Reborn

1 Dark Hole

1 Mind Control

Traps: 14

2 Solemn Warning

2 Gottoms’ Emergency Call

2 Seven Tools of the Bandit

1 Trap Stun

1 Solemn Judgment

1 Mirror Force

1 Torrential Tribute

2 Bottomless Trap Hole

1 Royal Oppression

1 Reinforce Truth

McCabe’s X-Saber Deck counts on a lot of the same tricks that earlier X-Saber Decks used, but approaches them in a whole new light. Instead of using Rescue Cat to Special Summon Darksoul and Airbellum at once in order to Synchro Summon XX-Saber Hyunlei at will, McCabe’s Deck lets him use the Level 4 XX-Saber Boggart Knight to Special Summon the Level 2 Tuner X-Saber Pashuul from his hand and Synchro Summon XX-Saber Hyunlei by Tuning the 2 monsters together. McCabe can also build up a field over multiple turns to bring out a Level 3 Tuner (XX-Saber Fulhelmknight or X-Saber Airbellum) and a Level 3 non-Tuner (XX-Saber Emmersblade or XX-Saber Darksoul), which he can Tune together to Synchro Summon Hyunlei. McCabe’s Deck uses Trap Stun and Cold Wave, as well as Seven Tools of the Bandit, to secure his plays and make sure the effect of his Hyunlei resolves.

Trap Stun, Cold Wave, and Seven Tools of the Bandit also secure McCabe’s big plays with XX-Saber Faultroll. McCabe needs to have 2 X-Sabers on the field at the same time to Special Summon Faultroll from his hand, but with XX-Saber Boggart Knight letting him Special Summon an X-Saber from his hand, McCabe has no problem getting 2 of them onto the field. McCabe also uses XX-Saber Emmersblade to keep an X-Saber on the field at all times, and uses Reinforce Truth to Special Summon Pashuul from his Deck on his opponent’s turn. This can be a defensive play used to block his opponent’s attacks, or an offensive play on his opponent’s End Phase that lets him start his next turn with an X-Saber Tuner on the field.

X-Saber Decks occupied the most spots in the Top 16 this weekend, proving that they’re still a force to be reckoned with. But with X-Sabers absent from the finals, it’s obvious that any Deck has a chance to win.